DEC begins remedial work at former Vanadium Corp. site in Town of Niagara

TOWN OF NIAGARA – The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced Wednesday that it has begun remedial work at the former Vanadium Corp. of America property, 4400 Lockport Road.

The 88-acre site beside Interstate 190, which adjoins other toxic sites, was owned by Vanadium from 1920 to 1964. The company used it as a dumping ground for 594,000 tons of hazardous industrial wastes, such as ash, calcium hydroxide and ferrochromium silicon slag, and silicon dust.

The DEC intends to consolidate and cap the waste, enlarging and grading an existing mound on the site.

The property is owned by National Grid, and there are no buildings on the site except for high-voltage electrical transmission towers. The DEC said it will position the consolidated waste to avoid working around those towers as much as possible.

Only commercial or industrial use would be allowed in the future, once the remediation is complete, the DEC said. A long-term monitoring system will be installed.